Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang (left) and Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari attend a joint press conference after the fourth round of the China-Pakistan Foreign Ministers' Strategic Dialogue in Islamabad, Pakistan, May 6, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)
ISLAMABAD – Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang said on Saturday that China and Pakistan, as all-weather strategic cooperative partners, are committed to building a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era.
At a joint press conference after the fourth round of the China-Pakistan Foreign Ministers' Strategic Dialogue with Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Qin said that China appreciates Pakistan's political support on issues relating to China's core interests and major concerns.
China will, as always, continue to support Pakistan in safeguarding its sovereignty, territorial integrity and national dignity, finding a development path suited to its own national conditions, and playing its due role in global and regional affairs, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang said
China will, as always, continue to support Pakistan in safeguarding its sovereignty, territorial integrity and national dignity, finding a development path suited to its own national conditions, and playing its due role in global and regional affairs, Qin said.
The two foreign ministers agreed that their countries, in the post-pandemic era, will resume communication at all levels as well as consultation through mechanisms, fully implement the important consensuses reached by leaders of the two countries, and speed up China-Pakistan all-round cooperation.
During the meeting, the two sides pledged to accelerate the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor projects and sound planning and operation in industrial cooperation, and extend the frontier of fields including agriculture, technology and new energy, so as to help Pakistan achieve higher-quality and sustainable development.
Noting that this year marks the 10th anniversary of the launch of CPEC, the Chinese foreign minister underlined its high-quality development.
Qin said that under the joint efforts of both countries, CPEC has become a model of Belt and Road cooperation, bringing about significant improvement in Pakistan's infrastructure, and tangible economic and social benefits from early harvest projects.
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He pointed out that the mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Pakistan aims to help Pakistan develop its economy and improve people's livelihood.
"Some forces have fabricated the lie that China is creating a debt trap in Pakistan. I suggest our media friends ask those people what they have done for Pakistan's development and what real money they have invested in the country. I believe the people of Pakistan don't need high-sounding rhetoric, but real help," Qin said.
He stressed that stability is a prerequisite for development and security is the foundation of prosperity. China hopes that all political forces in Pakistan will build consensus, maintain stability, respond more effectively to internal and external challenges, focus on economic development and improving people's livelihood, and push the country onto the fast track of development and revitalization.
The two sides agreed to track down and severely punish the culprits in Chinese-targeted terrorist attacks, further deepen security and anti-terrorism cooperation, and enhance collaboration in regional anti-terrorism affairs.
They also agreed that they will work for Pakistan taking the lead in the implementation of the Global Development Initiative and other major initiatives, strengthen coordination and collaboration at the multilateral level, and oppose Cold War mentality, zero-sum game and bloc confrontation.
In addition, the two countries called for resolving differences through dialogue and consultation, safeguarding international fairness and justice, promoting the cause of world peace and development, and jointly building a community with a shared future for mankind.
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Qin also met with Pakistani Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir in Islamabad on Saturday, he said China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic cooperative partners, and their time-tested and rock-solid friendship has always maintained strong vitality.
China looks forward to higher-level cooperation and joint efforts with Pakistan to meet challenges and pursue common development and prosperity, the Chinese foreign minister said.
China firmly supports Pakistan in fighting terrorism and is ready to work with Pakistan to promote high-quality development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and strengthen military exchanges and defense cooperation, Qin said.
For his part, Munir said Pakistan and China are all-weather friends and brothers, and the Pakistani people often say that the friendship between the two neighbors is higher than mountains, deeper than the ocean and sweeter than honey.
The Pakistani military is firmly committed to carrying forward the Pakistan-China friendship and building an unbreakable Pakistan-China community with a shared future, Munir said.
The two sides also exchanged views on the Afghan issue and other international and regional issues of common concern.